


Hidden Intentions

by Aithorin



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bending (Avatar), Earthbending & Earthbenders, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kissing, Love Confessions, Metalbending & Metalbenders, Misunderstandings, Romance, Suyin Beifong - Freeform, Zaofu, mentioned suyin beifong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:39:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27870125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aithorin/pseuds/Aithorin
Summary: Imagine Lin teaching you how to metal bend
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 101





	Hidden Intentions

“Again.” Lin demanded in a tone that left no room for argument. Standing with her arms crossed, she watched your movements with a stoic expression, looking every bit the part of an enthusiastic, passionate mentor.

Determined not to embarrass yourself further (you’d been going at it for who knows how long), you closed your eyes and focused on the piece of metal laying in your palm, willing it to form into the shape of a ball. Yet your efforts were in vain for when you opened your eyes, the scrap hadn’t changed in the slightest. Humiliation rushed over you causing your shoulders to slump over in defeat while a cry of frustration escaped your lips.

Rolling her eyes at your display, Lin let out a sigh of her own before once again repeating her instructions. “You can’t just focus on the metal as a whole. You must feel the particles of earth encased within the metal. Focus on that. Concentrate on the tiny pieces of Earth trapped inside and work to bend them into the shape that you want,” She said, “Now try again.”

Nodding your head, you square your shoulders, making a silent promise to succeed this time. Taking a deep breath, you once again let your eyelids flutter close while focusing on the metal, trying to feel the earth inside as Lin instructed. But alas, you were apparently a terrible student for you felt absolutely nothing. Overcome with a sudden bout of anger at your own failings, your eyes shot open while you flung the piece of metal onto the ground, no longer able to stand touching it. 

“I can’t do it! I don’t feel anything at all!” you wailed.

“Don’t be pathetic,” Lin sneered, “I’m not going to coddle you like you obviously want me to. If you wanted someone to do that, you should have gone to Suyin for help. You knew what you were getting into when you asked me to teach you, so pick it back up and try again.”

Looking warily at the unassuming scrap lying in a blanket of dirt, you hesitated just a moment too long causing Lin’s impatience to make an appearance. “For god’s sake, do you even want to learn how to metalbend? Because your actions seem to say otherwise!” She growled.

Emotions high, your answer slipped out before you even had time to think, “No!” 

Taken aback, Lin looked at you with wide eyes, stunned, before her irritation turned into full blown anger. “No?” She questioned with murder in her eyes, “So this has all just been a waste of time?  _ Why  _ the  _ hell  _ did you even ask for my help in the first place then?”

Heat rushing into your face, you quickly backtracked. “That’s not what I meant,” you stammered, “I do want to learn how to metalbend-sort of.”

“Sort of?” Lin asked, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Realizing that there was no way out of the hole you had just dug yourself into, you let out a sigh before resigning yourself to confessing the truth. “It means that I do want to learn how to metalbend, but it wasn’t why I asked you to teach me.”

At that bit of information, Lin’s eyebrows raised in confusion. “Then why  _ did  _ you ask me to teach you?”

Hearing that question caused your face to burn even hotter. Lowering your head, you scuffed your shoe against the dirt as you muttered something incomprehensible. 

Straining to hear you, Lin let out a huff at your childish display. “Speak up girl! Not even a badger mole would be able to hear your incessant mumbling!” She barked.

Taking a moment to gather yourself, you slowly raised your head to lock eyes with Lin and took a deep breath before saying, “I said, I asked you to teach me because I wanted to spend time with you.”

There, it was out in the open. Finally. After months of hiding your feelings, you had finally been able to grow a backbone and confess how you feel. Granted, you really had no choice in that since Lin practically forced it out of you, but still, at least you weren’t hiding it anymore. 

Yet Lin didn’t seem to connect the dots as her face scrunched up in confusion. “You wanted to spend time with me? What in the world does that have to do with-oh.” She said. Her eyes connecting with your intent gaze told her everything she needed to know. Taking a few moments to process it, Lin let out another “Oh!” as the implications of her realization finally hit her. 

For the second time in her life, Lin was well and truly stunned. Of all the things, she had ever expected to come from today,  _ this  _ was definitely not one of them. Moments passed by in complete silence, before Lin suddenly blanched and sputtered out, “Bu-but, I’m so much older than you!”

The words struck your heart like a dagger. A lump swelled in your throat at the very obvious rejection, and tears sprung to your eyes causing you to quickly avert your head back to the ground. Each breath seemed to squeeze your heart, pain rippling throughout your chest with every exhale. But, really, what had you expected? Of course, Lin Beifong, the esteemed chief of police of Republic City, wouldn’t want you. She was right. To her, you were probably nothing more than an adolescent child. She deserved much better than you. But, still, at least you had had hope. Now, you had nothing more than the cruel truth of reality. 

Letting out a quiet sniffle that you desperately hoped Lin hadn’t heard, you murmured, “I-I see. If you don’t mind, I think I’ve had enough training for one day.”

With that, you turned away and began to slowly trudge your way toward the comfort of Zaofu’s walls. Yet you weren’t able to make it very far for Lin’s hand shot out to wrap around your own while she pleaded, “Wait.”

Turning back around, you eyed her warily through blurry eyes, silently waiting for what she had to say. Seeing your distressed state, Lin shifted her weight back and forth, obviously uncomfortable. “I-I think you misunderstand me. What I said came out in the wrong way. I was just surprised that someone as young as you would want someone as old as me.”

Squaring her shoulders, Lin’s face suddenly steeled, and she began to make her way towards you. Stepping close to stand chest-to-chest with you, Lin hooked a finger around your chin, directing your head to look up at her. Eyes wide, you could barely see Lin’s face through her shadow, but the lack of sight did nothing to slow the pounding of your heart. Barely able to understand what was happening, you unconsciously held your breath, waiting to see what would happen next. 

“The truth is,” She whispered, “I didn’t think I deserved someone as wonderful as you. Me, I’ve had my chance at love, and it failed. My time has passed. But you...you have your whole life ahead of you. You could have anyone, and so I was honestly shocked to hear your confession. I never thought I’d be lucky enough to find love again.”

“You-you love me?” you breathed out, hardly able to believe it. 

At that, a smirk made its way onto Lin’s face. “Of course I do, you stupid girl. I don’t agree to teach just anyone you know? Not even the avatar managed to convince me.”

A watery laugh escaped your lips as tears of a completely different kind fell from your eyes. Beaming up at Lin, a soft smile of her own broke out over Lin’s lips. In the bliss of that moment, Lin’s hands instinctively reached up to cup your cheeks, and she leaned in to gently press her lips against your own. Nothing felt more natural. It was as though they belonged there. Reaching up, you tentatively rested your fingertips against Lin’s scars and leaned up to reciprocate the gesture. 

What could have been minutes or hours later, you both reluctantly broke away as your need for air took priority. Still holding onto each other, you held each other’s eyes trying to savor the moment. 

“Same time tomorrow?” Lin asked, with her forehead pressed against yours.

“Definitely.” you grinned. 

  
  



End file.
